Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar

Fun, tasty and vibrant. I'll be back to Cuba Libre. This restaurant is located in the Pointe strip on I-drive in close proximity to many other restaurants. The restaurant itself is super pretty and made to look more like "old Havana". This is a great place for a date night, a birthday, girls night or if you're just in the mood for good Cuban food. Food wise - in my opinion they get a 4.5 out of 5 on the authenticity scale. They serve Cuban staples like Ropa Vieja and Vaca Frita (a pulled pork dish and fried beef). Everything I tried was delicious, no complaints. Try the bread and cinnamon mango butter! I know you're not supposed to fill up on bread before dinner but the bread was soft and tasted freshly baked. For cocktails, you can't go wrong with any of the mojitos. If you're not an alcohol drinker - they have mocktail options as well. This place can get pretty lively on weekends and there's even dancing. Overall, I enjoyed my dinner here and I'll likely return.

Meh? A lot like eating a "cuban" meal in a nice hotel. The food is competent enough, but not really Cuban at all, and pretty bland. It's like a recent hospitality school graduate from Minnesota using a Cuban cookbook.The service is good, though, and it is very well decorated.

I rarely write reviews any more and I only do so when I have a five star experience. Much to my surprise that happened tonight at Cuba Libre & Rum in Orlando.I sat at the bar, and given the name I was hopeful I would find my favorite rum (which I never ever do). Happily, they had a boisterous rum menu including Mount Gay XO which is my clear favorite rum. Just so smooth and tasty, I was delighted.Then my bartender/server Mitch said "I'm ordering you the bread" which I had not asked him to do. Thank goodness he did. The bread is three slices of a brioche-type loaf sliced medium thick and then toasted crisp on the flat top. It's served with a compound cinnamon butter, and the effect after slavering the butter on is like a savory cinnamon french toast. It's just awesome and totally unique. For my meal I ordered the Vaca Frita (Braised brisket shredded then seared, roasted onions, citrus-garlic sauce, white rice, black beans). I have never seen this on any menu before, but think of it as sort of like Ropa Vieja but seared on the flat top giving it a yummy crust. And the citrus in the sauce just adds the nicest tang. My definition of a 5-star rating is something I can't get anywhere else, and all three items I ordered were things I have never had or can't seem to find anywhere else (Mount Gay XO). And Mitch was great, very friendly and thank you so much for taking the initiative to order the bread.In fact, I only have one complaint. Cuba Libre sells many super premium rums and whiskeys. If you are going to serve those premium names, you HAVE to have the large ice cube. It is a must. I was able to enjoy my rum neat and savor it throughout the meal, but if I had the large cube I probably would have had two!

Fun place. Great food. Fair price. Our server could have done a little better, but came through with the birthday festivities at the end of the meal

If this restaurant were in competition with Gloria Stefano restaurant, this place would easily take first place! As a big fan of Cuban cuisine, I was excited to try it, and it did not disappoint.The host was welcoming and seated us promptly, even as the ground floor was being prepped to transform into a dance club. We were directed upstairs, and the ambiance was stunning--it felt like stepping into a charming alleyway of a Cuban restaurant in Havana.Our waiter greeted us right away, which is always a great start. We began with drinks (margaritas and mojitos) and appetizers (garlic shrimp and beef empanadas). The appetizers were fantastic--flavorful and well-executed. The garlic shrimp had a tangy lemon kick and crunchy garlic that elevated the dish. The beef empanadas were equally impressive, even without the provided sauce.The drinks, however, were a bit of a letdown. The mojito lacked the signature sugarcane garnish and tasted more like a generic minty spirit drink. It missed the mark for me, which was disappointing.For our entrées, we ordered the Pollo Asado and Churrasco, and both were outstanding. The Churrasco was cooked perfectly and served with creamy mashed potatoes and arugula, which provided a nice balance to the dish's richness. The Pollo Asado was equally flavorful, with tender chicken paired with mashed potatoes and broccolini.Overall, we had a wonderful experience. Despite the mojito falling short, the delicious food and great service make this a spot we'll definitely return to--and highly recommend to others.

This place is delicious for dinner and fun for when they turn it into a club at night. Be warned they ask you to tip when paying to get in when it is a club. I was kinda shocked. I tipped 18% because I panicked. I didn't want to hold up the line but I think it's pretty damn brazen to ask for a tip when I am literally paying you to get into your establishment. Do better.

We had our office Christmas party here and had an amazing experience. Getting information, recommendations, and booking was super easy. Alan helped us select a dining room and menu. We were welcomed and shown to our event space. There was 2-3 servers checking on us and they did a great job. Ashley in particular was fantastic! The restaurant is gorgeous! I was very impressed by the ambiance and table settings. Our event room was clean, well decorated, and comfortable. The food was awesome. For appetizers, we enjoyed empanadas, shrimp cocktail, and guacamole with plantain chips. The empanadas were truly impressive! The filling was so rich and the pop of green olives was lovely. The shrimp and guac were fresh and delicious. For my entree, I got the ropa vieja, which was super tender and savory. It came with buttery white rice. For dessert, we enjoyed flan which was served with a soft cookie and dulce de leche. It was so decadent! For drinks, we enjoyed sangria, mojito, rum, and a few shots. All were good. Overall, I am very impressed with Cuba Libre. It is beautiful, has great food and service, and does events expertly!

Aguilar, our server was good. It was busy on Friday. After we got the mail. It would've been nice if he could've checked on us a little bit more. I wanted to stay downstairs and listen to the band. After 830 they shut the first floor down to open up the space for the dance floor so people can dance. The interior felt like I was in little Havana. It was also nice to witness a proposal that happened at the restaurant.

Service is doing the major lifting for this review. I must've changed the reservation a handful of times trying to figure out the numbers for our large party. They were very gracious. And then our server was hustling with our preorders and back and forth with boxes and water and more dishes. I think the food was just fine. But the service was amazing. It gets loud in there but it's a good atmosphere for large parties perfect for the conference crowd.

My wife and I recently went to Cuba Libre restaurant before going to the Funny Bone for an evening of laughter. We sat by the bar & were the first customers to arrive. We were greeted by Amanie, their bartender - very pleasant & engaging. We ordered Classic Mojitos. Amanie prepared the best mojitos we have had in the Orlando area and as a result, we ordered another round. Needless, to say, we felt great going to the Funny Bone. Their empanadas were delicious as well.